Method of and apparatus for purifying water



June 6, 1939. RIL. NEGUS I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS-FOR PURIFYING WATER Filed Jan. 11, 1938 45 v jv) Patented June 6, 1939 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PUBIFYING WATER Robert Lee Nexus, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, I assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Aqua-Electric Corporation, Limited, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, a body corporate Application January 11, 1938, Serial No. 184,482

2 Claim.

This invention relates to a method oi and apparatus for purifying water and, among other objects, aims to provide a novel continuous process of treating water by precipitating some of 5 the impurities and filtering the'water so that it is ready for use. Also, the idea is to provide an improved method of cleaning slime or sludge from apparatus used in practicing the method. A stilliurther aim is to provide novel apparatus for practicing the method and adapted to be used for the continuous treatment of water.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. i is a sectional view of one form oi apparatus especially adapted to practice the method;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a series of electrodes shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line t-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. i is an enlarged sectional view of a filter element shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the improved method, the invention involves the treatment of water by elec trolysis conveniently by means of electrodes somewhat similar to those disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,079,950 to F. G. Negus, and thereafter conducting the water from the electrode container or tank to a filtering chamber where it is filtered through charcoal or other suitable filtering material and then passing it through a filtering cloth and fine filtering ma terial; whence it passes to a point oi use. This treatment is made continuous so that a supply of raw water requiring treatment may be fed continuously through the apparatus to a point of use. The supply of pure water to steam boilers is a good example.

Referring particularly to the drawing, one form of apparatus especially adapted to practice the method is disclosed in Fig. 1. In this instance, an electrical treatment chamber ill in the form of a tank is shown as having a closed cover H with an opening i2 through which an electrode unit is introduced and secured to the top of the cover. The electrode unit in this instance, comprises aplurality of spaced electrode plates i3, alternate ones of which are electrically connected to the same terminal posts it being suitably held assembled by bolts and spacer washers some of which are made of insulating material so that one pair of electrodes is insulated from the other pair. The electrodes are suspended from a plate It of insulating material,

iii

which is conveniently bolted or otherwise removably secured to the top of the cover ii in a watertight engagement therewith. The electrodes are shownas being arranged within a sheet metal electrode casing 18 secured at its upper end to the bottom 01' the plate I5, having openings il in its opposite sides to permit water I It passes into the top portion of the tank and is conducted from the bottom portion of the tank through a pipe 22 having a control valve 23 into a filtering tank 24, also shown as having a removable watertight cover 25. The filtering chamber is preferably filled with charcoal or other suitable coarse filtering material and in the bottom of the casing there is arranged a final filtering device in the form of a metal receptacle or chamber 26 conveniently filled with fine filtering material, such as sand, Zolite' or the like and having a removable metal perfo rated cover 27] over which is stretched a filter cloth 28 held in place by a hoop or band 29 having a spring 89 to grip the cloth against the wall. The filtered water passes through the illtering material in the pan is into an outlet pipe 3! covered by a screen 32 and having a control valve 83.. It is then conducted through a water delivering main or pipe 8% to a point or" use.

It is necessary at intervals to clean the filtering material and drain thesludge from both tanks by using city water and reversing the circulation through the tanks. For this purpose, the tanks have valvedvdrain pipes 35 and 3b. In this instance, the pipe 23 is shown as having a branch 3'6 which is connected to the pipe 3| leading from the filtering chamber 26. This branch is shown as being provided with valves it and it. When. it is desired to reverse the circulation through and cleanse the filtering media inthe tank 26, the valves 20, 23 and til are closed, while the valves $8 and 3% are opened, so that city water is conducted through the pipes 87 and Eli into the filtering chamber 2% and, thence, through the filtering cloth into the tank 24 through the charcoal or the like and finally out the drain pipe it to a sewer.

It is desirable to introduce salt water or brine into the tank 24 to assist the water in cleansing the filter cloth and the charcoal. For this purpose, a valved pipe 4t having a funnel ll is con- 55 nected to the cover of the tank. 'l'hus, practically all of the sludge on the cloth and inthe filtering media will be washed out and pass through the drain 36. V e

To flush tank ll, water may be passed through it in either of two ways. Valves I! and 2| and drain 35 may be opened and all other valves closed; then the water will flow directly into and through the tank Ill. Also, valves 2|, SI and drain 36 may be closed and all other valves opened; then the water will flow in reverse through tank 24 and thence into the bottom of tank I8 and through a drain pipe 35 into the sewer? To assist in cleansing tank ll salt brine may also be introduced into the tank through a valved pipe 42 having a funnel l3. Incidentally, the valves in pipes 40 and 42 may be opened to provide vents for the tanks when it is desired to drain them, the supply valve 18 being closed for this purpose.

go In this manner, loose sludge may be drained from both tanks without employing the flushing operation.

Obviously, the method is not dependent upon the particular apparatus herein shown and described. Neither is the invention limited to a strict conformity with the described steps em-' ployed in practicing the method.

What is claimed is:

1. Water treating apparatus of the class described comprising, in combination, a closed precipitation tank; a valved supply pipe connected to the tank; a valved sludge drain p pe connected to the bottom of the tank; a closed filtering container filled with a coarse filtering medium; a conduit connecting the lower portion of" said tank to said container; a filtering chamber in the ing medium and having a perforated cover; a filter cloth stretched over said perforated cover; a valved delivery pipe connected to the bottom of said chamber; a valved sludge drain pipe connected to the bottom '0! said filtering container; valved conduits connected to the tank and the filtering container for introducing brine for cleansing purposes; and a valved branch pipe connecting the supply pipe to introduce backwashing water through said chamber, container and tank in series.

2. Water treating apparatusof the class described comprising, in combination, a closed precipitation tank; a valved supply pipe connected filtering container: anda valved branch pipe connecting the supply pipe to the delivery pipe, whereby raw water may be introduced through the filtering chamber, container and tank for cleansing the filtering media and the collected sludge in said tank.

ROBERT LEE NEGUS.

. bottom of the container embedded in said fllte'r- 

